There is more to web design than creating aesthetic appeal. It can actually have a substantial effect on your business’ SEO and branding.
Google and other search engines are smarter than you may think, and as a result, your design is incorporated into your SEO position. But at the same time, you want to make sure that your website is attractive and nice to look at. That is why design is much more important than it seems, in many different ways.
Building a Trusted Brand Online
Your website is your brand’s first impression to the audience. It is where you build trust and authority within your industry. The more trust you can build, the more your audience will convert to long-term customers. Your website is the first step in building that trust.
In a study done on health industry websites, researchers from the U.K. found that 94% of the people who said they mistrusted a website based their opinion on the website’s design elements. Only 6% of the mistrust actually stemmed from the content itself.
Design Affects SEO Content Capability
Most people may not think about design being such a crucial factor for SEO because design is usually attributed to image while SEO is attributed to text and content. However, this method of thinking can be a mistake. Your design matters when it comes to SEO.
For example, consider parallax web design. It is a popular type of website structure that is being used today, which consists of the single scrolling page. This design could make your website appealing to users, but it is not appealing to search engines. The more pillar content pages you have on your site, the more room for SEO optimization you have. So, sometimes it is better to forgo the fancy design tricks and stick to something that allows you to build a content strategy.
SEO is About More Than Just Text Content
Did you know that search engines such as Google take factors that relate to user experience into consideration when ranking websites? Searchmetrics reported that the following elements of a website are also factored into a site’s SEO rank:
- Font size
- Embedded video
- Interactive elements
- H1 headings
- Number of images
- Time on site
- Bounce rate
With Google’s recent changes and updated use of artificial intelligence focused on user intent, these elements are becoming even more important for your SEO strategy.
These are all the elements that are involved in your web design. Bounce rate and time on site can be increased when you have an easy to navigate, mobile responsive layout, while headings, videos, and images can be incorporated into the visual structure.
Mobile Responsive Web Design Counts
A mobile responsive web design has a significant impact on both your SEO and branding. The importance of a mobile friendly website should not be overlooked in today’s world, where many of your users are coming to your website from their smartphones. In fact, mobile and tablet Internet usage actually surpassed desktop usage in 2016, so the majority of your users are likely using their phones.
Good branding means accounting for these users in your web design and ensuring that they have a great mobile experience. However, it’s also important for your SEO rank. Mobile responsiveness can increase your time on page and lower your bounce rate, both factors for search rankings.
At the end of the day, the best web design is the perfect combination of practical, attractive, and seamless. Find your balance and your users will turn into long-term customers.